Rotating tourniquets



June 22, 1965 A. w. KELSON 3,190,444

ROTATING TOURNIQUETS Filed Jan. 24, 1964 j INVENTOR.

iPTf/ufi M/Vnsa/v T1 E 3 BY ll-1, MlJLll/ITZI United States Patent 3,190,444 ROTATHNG TQURNHQUETS Arthur W. Kelson, New York, N.Y., assignor to Propper Manufacturing Company, Inc, Long lisiand City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 340,196 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-63.2)

This invention relates generally to a medical appliance, and more particularly to an appliance comprising a plurality of devices for applying constriction to the diiferent extremities of the human body.

,In the practice of medicine and in related areas of scientific practice the need frequently occurs for constricting the limbs of the human body for pooling blood in the extremities away from the heart. Thus, in cases such as pulmonary edema, it is necessary to block the return of venous blood to the heart (to thereby lower the work load of the heart) and, more important, not to stop arterial flow of blood from the heart. Usually, this object is achieved by placing so called rotating tourniquets or alternating tourniquets about three of the limbs of the patient and periodically sequentially moving the tourniquets from limb to limb. The degree of constriction is such as to permit arterial flow of blood from the heart to the circulatory systems in the extremities and is such as to prevent venous flow of blood back to the heart from these constricted limbs. The most commonly employed devices for effecting constriction of the limbs in this manner have been a triangular bandage, or a piece of small rubber tube which is wrapped around the limb While under tension or while stretched whereupon the ends are then tied into a loose or easily released knot. This practice, while eifective for producing the desired distension of the blood vessels, is cumbersome, time consuming and may also result in pain for the patient as it frequently occurs that the skin or flesh, particularly in obese subjects, is caught in the knot. Moreover, the desired quantity of such constrictors (at least three being required) is not always immediately available.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotating tourniquet package including a container and a plurality of tourniquets which are differently proportioned so each may be efliciently utilized on a particular limb and which can easily and quickly be applied to and removed from the limbs of a patient.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotating tourniquet package comprising constrictors which are easily adjusted to the desired tightness and wherein the means of effecting the securement of a specific I constrictor is such that the degree of tightness, after the constrictor has once been applied, can easily be increased or decreased if a change therein is found desirable, without having to bother with the untying or retying of a knot of the heretofore used constrictors.

It is another object of the present invention to provide 'a rotating tourniquet package comprising a plurality of tourniquets which are so designed that the desired coupling of overlapped ends of the tourniquets may be made while the tourniquet is held in stretched or tensioned condi- V tion, around the particular limb, of the desired degree a rotating tourniquet package comprising a plurality of constrictor devices wherein the quick and positive coupling together of overlapped ends may be effected in the manner above described and wherein further the overlapping coupled together ends will maintain a strong adherence, one to the other,'without the employment of extraneous fasteners or accessory elements.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rotating tourniquet package including a container and a plurality of tourniquets which are particularly adapted to efficient sequential periodic placement and removal on the particular limbs of a patient.

In accordance with the foregoing objects, the present invention comprises a set of four constrictors which may advantageously be of the type described in Patent No. 3,086,529, issued to M. M. Munz et al. on April 23, 1963, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Two of the four constrictors are longer than the remaining two and ar designed to be placed about the thighs of the patient. The shorter constrictors are adapted to be placed about the upper arms of the patient. In use, three of the constrictors are respectively placed about three extremities of the patient and are maintained in place for a predetermined time. Thereafter, a constrictor is placed about the limb having no constrictor thereon and a constrictor is removed from one of the limbs then containing a constrictor. This operation is repeated periodically so that each limb will be completely free of any constriction for one quarter of the time the patient is subject to rotating tourniquet treatment. The

caring surfaces of the fastening elements on each tourniquet are of a length such that the tourniquet may be 7 applied to the limb without cutting off the arterial flow of blood but will prevent venous return of blood to the heart.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a rotating tourniquet package including a plurality of tourniquets and a container for receiving same wherein two of said tourniquets are longer than the other two tournique'ts for placement about the thighs of the patient.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the kit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of one of the tourniquets of the kit of the present invention which is adapted to be placed about the thigh of the patient;

FIG. 3 is a front elcvational view of one of the tourniquets of the kit of the present invention which is adapted to be placed about the upper arm of the patient; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic View illustrating how the tourniquets in the kit of the present invention may be applied to a patient.

As noted hereinabove, the tourniquets of the present invention may be of the type stated and described in Pat ent No. 3,086,529. This patent discloses a tourniquet comprising a band of rubber having a strip of Velcro pile which extends longitudinally for a substantial length of the band from one end thereof across the width of the band. The coupling component which cooperates with the Velcro pile to affect the securement of the tourniquet ends consists of a Velcro hook portion which is secured to the other end of the band on the side opposite the side containing the pile fabric and extends longitudinally for a predetermined length from said other end across the width of said band. The end of the hooks are turned in toward the body of the fabric so that they may catch the loops of the pile material when the two components are pressed together in confronting relation to force the books into the pile. However, the present invention contemplates Velcro hook and pile strips which are substantially longer than those disclosed in the previously mentioned patent, as set out below.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises four such'tourniquets which are denotedby the numerals 14, 16, 18 and 20. Tourniquets 18 and '20 are equal in length and are longer than tourniquets 14 and ,16, which are also equal in length, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. Thus, tourniquets 18 and i 24, the front edge of whichproje'cts outwardly' pefpefi dicula'rly from approximately the center of the front panel of portion 22 at the upper edge thereof and ta ers in wardly toward the right as taken in FIG. 1 to define said wedge shape. A pin 25 projects upwardly perpendicularly from the widest portion of the wedge 24. Two

inverted conically shaped projections26 and. 27 are 1o-- eated adjacent pin 25 at the upper edgeof the front panel of portion 22, and are separated from each other by a predetermined distance and taper downwardly and,

inwardly from the top. of the panel; Similarly, the upper portion23contains a wedge shaped element 28 the front edge of which projects outwardly perpendicularly from,

.the lower edge of the front panel of portion 23 and tapers inwardly toward the left as taken inFIG. 1 to define s'aid wedge shaped element. A pin 29 projects downwardly perpendicularly from the widest point of the wedge shaped element. The two conical shaped elements 30 and 31 are located adjacent wedge 28 on the.

front panel of portion. 23 and taper upwardly inwardly from the lower edge of the front panel. When receptacle 21 is closed, pin 25 will be received between projections 30 and 31 and pin 29 will be reeeived between projections 26 and 2 7. The container is preferably made of plastic material jso the tapering of the respective pins 26, and 27 and 30 and Y31 will cause the associated pins 29 and 25 to be displaced outward, thereby exerting a force inward against these projections to maintain the receptacle in the shut position. Thus, a mini-.

mum amount of force in the upward direction exerted against element 28 (or minimum amount of force exerted downward againstelement 24) will cause the receptacle to open. a a a It is desirable to have the respective tourniquet s folded within receptacle 21 in such a manner that none of the Velcro pile portions on any of the tourniquets'will be incontact with any ofthe Velcro hook portions. If, in fact, any of "these portions were in contact with one an- .other, precious time would be wasted (especially in the case of emergencies) in separatingthe tourniquets and then applying them. (Since tourniquets-14 and 16 are foldedthe same Way only the folding of tourniquet .14

will be described.) ,That end of tourniquet 14 containing the Velcro pile is folded along the fold 14a with torn edges abutting the bottom (not shown) of receptacle 211and the lateral edges of the tourniquets perpendicular to cut on thear'terial flow of blood.

, 4 Since tourniquets Hand 20 are folded in the same manner, only the folding of tourniquet 20' will be described.v The end of tourniquet 20 containing the Velcro pile portion is folded along the fold 20a with the Velcropile facing inward toward the mid-portion of tourniquet 20. The end of tourniquet 20 containing the Velcro hook portion thereon is folded along the fold 20b inward towardthe mid-portion of tourniquet 20. The mid-portion of tourniquet 20 is folded along the fold 20c.so that the end containing the Velcro hook portion is sandwiched between two surfaces of the midportion of tourniquet 20. Thus, neither the Velcro hook portion nor the Velcro pile' portion will be exposed in either tourniquet 18 or. 20. Tourniquets 18 and :20 are inserted into receptacle 21 with their longitudinal botto said bottom. r v I The patient receiving the tourniquet treatment'is placed in aprone position on, for example, a cot 32, as shown in FIG. 4. The arms of the patient are'generally denoted by 35 and 36 and the legs of the patient are denoted by 33 and 34. In operation, the receptacle 21 isopened and the tourniquets removedtherefrom. In a preferred procedu're only three tourniquets'will be placed about three extremities at any one time. Thus, tourniquet 18 is placed about the thigh of leg 34 with the Velcro hook portion venousvblood'thereto thereby lessening the work load of the heart and allowing the blood to pool in the extremities having the constrictors thereon. The Velcro'end portions of" each tourniquet are made sufliciently long so this required degree of constriction may be achieved. This is in contradistinction to tourniquets which are used In these type of tourniqnets the fastening elements are purposely made shortto eifecta greater constricting force. Moreover, the overall length and width of the tourniquets ofthe present invention are made greater than the ordinary tourniquet (which is used to restric't arterial flow of blood) so as to insure onlyvenou's return of blood will be cut off.

Afte'rapproximately 1-5 minutes a'constrict'or is placed about the upper arm of arm 36 'and a constrictor-is re-, moved from one of the other limbs of the patient. Thereafter, a constrictor is placed onthe then free limb and re- 7 moved from one of the two remaining limbs that had not been free. Thus,each limb will be constricted for 45 minutes and will be free of constriction for 15 mlnutes out of everyjhour thereby preventing extended periods of circulatory block which couldcause serious damage.

the Velcro pile. pointing inward towar d the mid-portion.

When the treatment has been completed, the tourniquets 14, 16, 18 and 20 are then folded, as described above, and replaced in receptacle 21 until such time as their use is again required. a a r Thus, in accordance wih the ObJCClLS'Of the present invention I have provided a new and useful rotating tourni- ..quet package, ;which,comprises a container and four tourniquets specifically proportioned for the respective hook portion are separated. from each other by the inidportion of tourniquet 14 and neither ofthese portions limbs which may easily and .quickly be applied to and removed from the extremities of a patient to block the venous return of blood to the heart, thereby lightening the work load of the heart. a

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenidescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications. may be made h e Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A rotating tourniquet package comprising a plurality of elongated elastic bands, each of said bands having a respective Velcro pile portion connected to one end thereof across the width of said bands and extending longitudinally for a predetermined length, each of said bands having a respective Velcro hook portion connected to the other end of said bands on the face opposite the face containing said pile portion across the Width of said band and extending longitudinally for a predetermined length from said other end, the predetermined length of the respective Velcro pile and hook portions of each band extending a sufiicient distance to allow said band to be placed about a limb without restricting arterial blood flow, said plurality of elongated bands comprising four in number, two of said elongated bands being of equal length and being longer than the remaining two bands and being adapted to be placed about the thigh of a patient, the two remaining shorter bands being of equal length and being adapted to be placed about the upper arm of a patient, a container for receiving said plurality of elongated bands, each of said plurality of elongated bands being foldedly received in said container with the lateral edges of said elongated bands perpendicular to the bottom of said container so a particular band may easily be removed therefrom, each of said longer bands being folded inwardly on itself along transverse lines proximate to the termination of each of the Velcro portions and along an intermediate transverse line wherein each Velcro portion of the longer of said bands is in contact with a plain surface of said band thereby preventing the Velcro portions from contacting one another and from contacting Velcro portions of the remaining bands in said container, each of the shorter of said bands being folded along transverse lines on itself whereby said Velcro portions are in contact with opposite sides of the center portion of said shorter band to maintain said Velcro portions out of contact with one another and out of contact with the Velcro portions of the remaining bands in said container, whereby said plurality of elongated bands may easily be removed from said container and respectively placed about the limbs of a patient with the Velcro end portions of said bands overlapped and interengaged so the respective bands constrict the respective limbs of the patient to prevent return of venous blood flow from the constricted limbs to the heart.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,487,014 3/24 Davis 206-12 3,086,529 4/63 Munz et al.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

